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Note about my Reviews

Dear Authors: The reviews in this blog are only personal opinions. I have absolutely no background in literature, writing or reviewing. I am a Librarian (actually a Library Technician for those who care OR know the difference) with a love for a good story. The opinions in the reviews are ONLY my OPINIONS. I am not commenting on the writers ability since well -- I am not a writer and never will be. If you are the author of any of the books reviewed here, my opinion is just that and not a judgment against you!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais

Description: The Hundred-Foot Journey" is the story of Hassan Haji, a boy from Mumbai who embarks, along with his boisterous family, on a picaresque journey first to London and then across Europe, before they ultimately open a restaurant opposite a famous chef, Madame Mallory, in the remote French village of Lumiere. A culinary war ensues, pitting Hassan's Mumbai - toughened father against the imperious Michelin-starred cordon bleu, until she realizes that Hassan is a cook with natural talents far superior to her own. Full of eccentric characters, hilarious cultural mishaps, vivid settings and delicious meals described in rich, sensuous detail, Hassan's charming account lays bare the inner workings of the elite world of French haute cuisine, and provides a life-affirming and poignant coming-of-age tale

The Good Stuff

Wonderfully vivid descriptions of the landscape and of the food

Nice light humour

Intriguing realistic characters

The food is described so vividly you will become hungry while reading. I don't even like Indian food, but I was drooling by the descriptions

I can definitely see this being made into a movie (author talks about this at the end in the acknowledgments)

Nice simple story, that makes you both laugh and cry and encompasses the important theme of forgiveness

Liked the recipes at the end, would have liked more though

Nice character development

Did I mention the food -- family enjoyed the creative meals I made after reading - plain old grilled chicken wasn't going to cut it after what I had read about

The Not So Good Stuff

Think I gained 10 pounds while reading it, because I was hungry all the time

Story falters for a little 3/4 of way through, but does pick up again

Could have done without all the various descriptions of bodily fluids -- ick I got 2 kids I deal with shit all the time, don't want to read about it

Favorite Quotes/Passages

"And the strange people thronging and jostling on the sidewalks-- the ring-studded Goths in black leather and green Mohawks, the posh girls from private Hampstead day schools down for a bit of slumming, the winos lurching from rubbish bin to pub-- all this sea of humanity reassured me that as alien as I felt, there were always others in the world far odder than I."

"But what Umar obviously didn't see, and I did, was that Abhidha's face was permanently lit by the most intriguing smile. I did not know where this smile came from, in a women of twenty-three, but it was if Allah had once whispered some cosmic joke into her ear, and from then on she walked through life filtering the world through this amusing take on events."

"And in the depths of those glinting little eyes she sees the balance sheet of her life, an endless list of credits and debits, of accomplishments and failures, small acts of kindness and real acts of cruelty. And the tears finally came as she looks away, unable to see things to the very end, for she knows without looking of the terrible imbalance, how long ago the credits stopped while the debts of vanity and selfishness run on and on."

Who Should/Shouldn't Read

Fans of Chocolot and Like Water For Chocolate will very much enjoy

Perfect for Foodies

4.25 Dewey's

I received this from Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review - thanks guys for once again introducing me to a fantastic story that I probably never would have picked up

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About Me

Married Mom of 2 wonderful but unruly boys. A Library Technician but currently working for Westjet Vacations. I am a book nerd and geeky tv loving optimist with a dry twisted sense of humour and a big heart.